Paperboard carrier



y 5, 1953 HI w. FoRRE'R 2,637,480 I PAPERBOARD CARRIER Filed Oct. 2, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig 3 4 IN V EN TOR.

. Ila/Mn? m FORRt'R BY ATTORNEYS May 5, 1953 H. w. FORRER' PAPERBOARD CARRIER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 2, 1950 INVEN TOR. #04451? n. F0/ R ,4 r roe/vars y 1953 H. w. FORRER 2,637,480

PAPERBOARD CARRIER Filed Oct. 2, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig? IN V EN TOR.

HOMER W. FORREIP ATTORNEYS Patented May 5, 1953 UNITED-STATES PATENT OFFICE PAPERBOARD CARRIER Homer W. Forrer, Atlanta, Ga., assignor to Atlanta Paper Company, a corporation of Georgia Application October 2, 1950, Serial No. 187,995

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to paperboard carriers, and more particularly to a unique structural arrangement for a carrier of this sort by which the contents of the carrier may be entirely enclosed, and by which the form and appearance of the carrier can be adapted readily for various novelty arrangements.

Complete enclosure of the contents of the carrier is provided by the carrier structure of the present invention through an arrangement of cover flaps or panels which are foldably joined at the top edges of the side walls, and which are adapted at their extending edges for interiitting with the handle portion of the carrier to assume a position in covering relation with respect to the carrier that lends itself readily to simulation of the roof of a house, for example, or other novelty arrangements of this sort. The carrier structure of the present invention is described in further detail below in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a paperboard carrier constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a corresponding perspective view with one of the cover flaps in open position so that the interior of the carrier may be seen;

Figs. 3 and 4 are respective longitudinal and transverse vertical sections of the carrier shown in Fig. 2

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a blank for forming the carrier illustrated in Figs. 1. to l,v inclusive;

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are corresponding plan views illustrating progressively the manner in which the blank shown in Fig. 5 is folded and glued for erection to form the carrier shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive; and

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a blank for a transverse partition element such as maybe employed with the carrier of the present invention.

The embodiment shown in the drawings of the carrier structure of the present invention comprises a one piece bottom wall it that is foldably joined'at its side edges i2 to opposed side walls M at the side or end edges it of which end wall half-laps l8 and are foldably associated to meet medially of the carrier ends upon erection.

To stabilize and strengthen this wall structure with respect to the bottom wall ill, web panels 22 are preferably employed as described in copending application Serial No. 185,008, filed September 15, 1950. These web panels 22 are foldably joined at each end edge 2t of the bottom wall it and at the bottom edges 25 and 28 of the respective end wall half laps l3 and 25] that form the adjacent end wall. The web panels 22 are further formed with fold lines 3d extending diagonally from the adjacent corners of the bottom wall [0 and the respective end wall half-laps l8 and 28 so that they are adapted for doubling in overlying relation with respect to the bottom wall l 0 upon erection of the carrier in a manner which disposes the end wall half-laps it and 2a in fixed alignment with the end edges it of the bottom wall I0.

The carrier structure of the present invention further comprises medial full-laps 32 and. til, one of which is foldably secured at and thereby connects the extending edges 35 or 38, respectively, of both of the end wall half-laps it or 23 that are joined to each of the side walls M, so that these medial full-laps 32 and 3d are positioned in back-to-back relation upon erection of the carrier for forming a multi-ply medial partition from which the carrier may be suspended for carrying, both of the medial full-laps 32 and 34 being formed at their top edges fill and t: with handle tabs, as at 44 and 45, for this purpose.

To provide for maintaining the carrier erect with the medial full-laps 32 and a l in back-toback relation, one of these medial full-laps (such as 32) is foldably joined at its bottom edge it to a first auxiliary flap or panel 551, which in turn has foldably joined at its remote edge 52 a second auxiliary flap or panel 54. The first auxiliary panel is formed in substantially coextensive proportions with respect to the medial full-lap 32, and a slot 56 is formed at the joined edges of these auxiliary panels 58 and 54 to provide clearance for the handle tabs M and so that these auxiliary panels may be folded over the full-laps 32 and 34 and secured in this position by extending the handle tabs at and E6 through the slot 56 for maintaining the carrier erect. It should be noted that this arrangement exposes the outer smooth side of the paperboard forming the auxiliary panels 50 and 5 as well as the handle tabs M and 46, so that the carrier structure allows a design to be printed on the blank for the carrier which will appear fully on the carrier handle portion in relation to the exposed faces of the carrier wall structure when the car rier is erected, so as to allow a uniformly appearing ornamental pattern for the carrier.

Another feature of the carrier structure of the present invention, as previously noted above, is the arrangement of cover flaps or lid members 58 and 60 foldably joined at the top edges 52 of the side walls Hi to provide for completely enclosing the contents of the carrier. Each of the fiap members 58 and 60 are formed at their remote edges 64 and G6 with tongues as at 68 and 'lll for insertion in the slot 55 at each side of the handle tabs 44 and 46, so that they may be secured in covering relation.

In order to compartment the carrier structure of the present invention, if desired, so as to provide a series of carrier cells for accommodating a plurality of articles separately in the carrier, a transverse partition element may be employed comprising a central panel 12 foldably joined at each of its side edges I4 to a transverse partition panel 16 arranged for upstanding disposition with respect to the central panel 12, as shown in the drawings. The top edges of both of the transverse partition panels 16 are formed with downwardly extending notches as at 18, and the medial full-laps 32 and 34 are formed for interlocking with these notches 18. For this purpose, the medial full-lap 32, with which the auxiliary panels 50 and 54 are associated, is formed with a bottom edge terminating sufiiciently short of the bottom wall In for disposition in the transverse panel notches 18 upon erection of the carrier, and the other medial full-lap 34 is formed with a bottom edge extending downwardly to the bottom wall i and has notches 80 extending upwardly from its bottom edge for interlocking with the transverse panel notches l8 and thereby providing means for securing the transverse partition element in place upon erection of the carrier. In this connection it should be noted that, as shown in the drawings (compare Figs. 4 and 9), the downwardly extending notches 18 of the transverse partition panel 16 are flared adjacent their open end with a rounded form, which makes it possible to manipulate the medial partition panel or fulllap 32 having the shorter bottom edge easily in and out of interlocking engagement with the transverse panel notches 18 after the transverse panels 16 have first been engaged with the other medial partition panel or full-lap 34, and which thereby facilitates the erection and collapse of the carrier.

The form of blank used in accordance with the present invention for constructing a carrier such as is illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings is shown in Fig. 5. In constructing the carrier from this blank, the first and second auxiliary panels 50 and 54 are first folded upwardly, as seen in Fig. 6, over the medial full-lap 32 about its bottom edge 48. Next, the medial full-laps 32 and 34 are both folded over to the left, as seen in Fig. 7, about the extending edges 36 and 38 of the adjacent end wall half-laps l8 and 20, to which they are joined, and a coating of adhesive is applied, as indicated by stippling in Fig. '7, to the exposed faces of glue flaps as at 82 and 84 provided at the extending edges of the full-laps 32 and 34 for securing them to the opposite end Wall half-laps l8 and and then finally, these opposite halflaps l8 and 20 are folded over to the right as seen in Fig. 8, and thereby secured by the adhesive application to the glue flaps 82 and 84 to form the carrier structure in collapsed position for association upon erection with a transverse partition element having a blank formed such as is shown in Fig. 9.

I claim:

1. A paperboard carrier structure comprising a bottom wall, opposed side walls foldably joined to said bottom wall, end wall half-laps foldably joined at the side edges of said side walls and extending therefrom, medial full-laps secured to extensive proportions foldably joined at the bottom edge of said other full-lap, a second auxiliary panel foldably joined to said first auxiliary panel at the edge thereof remote from said other fulllap, a slot being formed at the joined edges of said first and second auxiliary panels and receiving said handle tabs, whereby said auxiliary panels are folded over said full-laps thus securing them in back-to-back relation, and cover flaps foldably joined at the top edges of said side walls and formed with tongues at their remote edges for insertion in said slot at each side of said handle tabs.

2. In a paperboard carrier structure having a one-piece bottom wall foldably joined to opposed side walls with which end wall half-laps are foldably associated to meet medially of the carrier ends, the improvement which comprises a medial full-lap secured at and thereby connecting the extending edges of both end wall half-laps associated with each of said side walls, whereby said full-laps are positioned in back-to-back relation, both of said medial full-laps being formed with handle tabs at their top edges, a first auxiliary panel foldably joined at the bottom edge of one of said full-laps and formed in substantially coextensive proportions therewith, a second auxiliary panel foldably joined to said first auxiliary panel at the edge thereof remote from said last mentioned full-lap, a slot being formed at the joined edges of said first and second auxiliary panels and receiving said handle tabs, said auxiliary panels being folded over said full-laps thus securing them in back-to-back relation, and cover flaps foldably joined at the top edges of said side walls and formed with tongues at their remote edges for insertion in said slot at each side of said hand e tabs.

3. In a paperboard carrier structure, the improvement defined in claim 2 and further characterized in that a web panel is foldably joined at each end edge of said bottom wall and at the bottom edges of the half-laps forming the adjacent end wall, said web panels being joined with fold lines extending diagonally from the ad acent corners of said bottom wall and end wall half-laps and folded in overlying relation to said bottom wall and thereby disposing said end wall half-laps in fixed alignment with the end edges of said bottom wall upon erection of said carrier.

4. In a paperboard carrier structure, the improvement defined in claim 2 and further characteri'red in that a transverse partition element is provided for said carrier comprising a central panel adapted to rest on said bottom wall and transverse partition panels foldably joined at each side edge of said central panel for disposition in upstanding relation thereto, said transverse partiticn panels being formed with notches extending downwardly from their top edges, the medial full-lap with which said auxiliary panels are associated having a bottom edge terminating sufficiently short of said bottom wall for disposition in said transverse panel notches, and the other of said medial full-laps having a, bottom edge extending downwardly to said bottom Wall and being formed with notches extending upwardly from its bottom edge for interlocking with said transverse panel notches and thereby providing means for securing said transverse partition element in place, the downwardly extending notches in said transverse partition panels being flared adjacent the top edges of said panels with a rounded form for allowing said medial full-lap having a bottom edge terminating short of said bottom wall to be manipulated easily in and out of interlocked engagement with said transverse panel notches after said transverse partition panels have first been engaged with the other of said medial full-laps.

5. A blank for a paperboard carrier structure, said blank comprising a bottom wall panel, opposed side wall panels joined to said bottom wall panel, end wall half-lap panels joined at each side edge of said side wall panels and extending therefrom in a width corresponding substantially to half the width of said bottom wall panel, a medial full-lap panel foldably joined by a score line endwise at the extending edge of one halflap panel joined to each of said side wall panels and adapted for securing to the extending edge of the other half-lap panel joined to the same side wall panel, both of said medial full-lap pan els being formed with handle tabs at their outer side edges, a, first auxiliary panel foldably joined by a score line at the inner side edge of one of said medial full-lap panels and formed in substantially coextensive proportions therewith, a second auxiliary panel foldably joined by a score line to said first auxiliary panel at the edge thereof remote from said last mentioned full-lap panel, a slot being formed at the joined edges of said first and second auxiliary panels to provide clearance for said handle tabs, whereby upon erection of said blank to form a carrier said auxiliary panels may be folded over said full-lap panels and secured in this position by extending said handle tabs through said slot for maintaining said carrier erect, and cover flap panels foldably joined by a score line at the outer edges of each of said side wall panels and formed with tongues at their remote edges for insertion in said slot at each side of said handle tabs.

6. A blank for a paperboard carrier structure as defined in claim 5 and further characterized in that a web panel is joined at each end edge of said bottom wall panel and at the adjacent side edges of both of the adjacent end wall half-lap panels, said web panels being formed with fold lines extending diagonally from the adjacent corners of said bottom wall panel and end wall half-lap panels for doubling in overlying relation with respect to a said bottom wall panel upon erection of said blank to form a carrier.

HOMER W. FORRER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,973,035 Barron Sept. 11, 1934 2,097,941 Wells Nov. 2, 1937 2,413,315 Darragh Dec. 31, 1946 2,535,741 Lighter Dec. 26, 1950 

